Not Applicable.
This invention relates in general to footwear, and more particularly to a shoe heel that has the capacity to attenuate impacts encountered in walking or running.
An individual""s normal act of walkingxe2x80x94and even more so runningxe2x80x94produces impacts that are transmitted primarily to the heel of the individual""s foot, either directly when the individual walks or runs without shoes or indirectly when the individual wears shoes. Some shoes, such as sneakers, have outsoles and insoles which are molded from elastomers, and are thus capable of reducing the severity of the impacts. Indeed, some soles for sneakers have air bladders which even more effectively absorb impacts. But the traditional dress or casual shoe worn by women has a rigid heel with a thin sock lining over the heel seat at the upper end of the heel. Impacts transfer with little attenuation through the heel, heel seat and lining to the heel of the individual""s foot, and can cause discomfort, particularly after long periods of walking or standing on hard surfaces.
To be sure, others have undertaken efforts to incorporate shock-absorbing devices into the heels of dress and casual shoes, but for the most part these efforts have not met with success. Some of these devices cannot withstand the impacts themselves. Others are too complex and cost too much to manufacture. The typical dress or casual shoe continues to have a solid heel which transmits impacts to the wearer""s heel with little or no attenuation.
The present invention resides in a shoe heel having a rigid block and a top lift which is coupled to the block such that the block may be depressed toward the top lift under moderate force, whereby impacts that would otherwise be transmitted to the heel of the wearer""s foot are to a large measure absorbed in the heel. To this end, the heel block contains a slug of resilient material which projects from it and bears against the upper surface of the top lift. Being resilient the slug absorbs impacts.